Conservative Top 50 from "Won't Get Fooled Again" to "Stand by Your Man"

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Listening to Rock and Hearing Sounds of Conservatism
By BEN SISARIO
Published: May 25, 2006


(Ken Rake/Camera Press)
Pete Townshend of the Who, whose "Won't Get Fooled Again" is on a list of conservative rock songs.

It is a primal moment in rock. In the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," Roger Daltrey sings about gladly fighting in the street for a "new revolution," and with a virtual mushroom cloud of guitar behind him, lets out a fearless cry. But what is the political message?

Classic conservatism, says National Review, the venerable conservative magazine, which in its latest issue offers a list of the "top 50 conservative rock songs of all time." Its No. 1 choice is "Won't Get Fooled Again," which ends with the cynical acceptance that nothing really changes in revolution: "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss."

"It is in my view a counterrevolutionary song," John J. Miller, the author of the article, said in a phone interview yesterday. "It's the notion that revolutions are often failures, like the French Revolution leading to Napoleon. The song is skeptical about revolutionary idealism in the end, and that's a very conservative idea."

Among the other conservative ideas that Mr. Miller found in the songs — most of them hits, many of them classics — are opposition to taxation ("Taxman" by the Beatles, at No. 2) and a preference for abstinence before marriage ("Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys, at No. 5).

Mr. Miller, 36, a political reporter for the magazine, said the list was meant to take issue with the idea that rock's politics are essentially liberal, and to offer an alternative view....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/arts/music/25rock.html


Conservative Top 50
Published: May 25, 2006

Following is National Review's list of its top 50 conservative rock songs, with the magazine's explanations of its choices.

1. "Won't Get Fooled Again," by The Who.
The conservative movement is full of disillusioned revolutionaries; this could be their theme song, an oath that swears off naive idealism once and for all. "There's nothing in the streets / Looks any different to me / And the slogans are replaced, by—the—bye. . . . Meet the new boss / Same as the old boss." The instantly recognizable synthesizer intro, Pete Townshend's ringing guitar, Keith Moon's pounding drums, and Roger Daltrey's wailing vocals make this one of the most explosive rock anthems ever recorded — the best number by a big band, and a classic for conservatives.

2. "Taxman," by The Beatles.
A George Harrison masterpiece with a famous guitar riff (which was actually played by Paul McCartney): "If you drive a car, I'll tax the street / If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat / If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat / If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet." The song closes with a humorous jab at death taxes: "Now my advice for those who die / Declare the pennies on your eyes."

3. "Sympathy for the Devil," by The Rolling Stones.
Don't be misled by the title; this song is "The Screwtape Letters" of rock. The devil is a tempter who leans hard on moral relativism — he will try to make you think that "every cop is a criminal / And all the sinners saints." What's more, he is the sinister inspiration for the cruelties of Bolshevism: "I stuck around St. Petersburg / When I saw it was a time for a change / Killed the czar and his ministers / Anastasia screamed in vain."

4. "Sweet Home Alabama," by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
A tribute to the region of America that liberals love to loathe, taking a shot at Neil Young's Canadian arrogance along the way: "A Southern man don't need him around anyhow."...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/arts/music/25brockweb.html?pagewanted=all

[PublicRadioVet]

1. A fascinating list, really.

Have any of the artists commented?

:)

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Hi, PRV -- welcome to DU!

It will be interesting to see if any of the artists respond to being on the list.

[johnaries]

14. Unfortunately, George Harrison can't say anything.

Although Paul might speak up on his behalf. and when George wrote Taxman they were paying 95% in taxes. I'll agree that's too much.

"Should 5% appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all".

[Ringo84]

3. Re:

"The devil is a tempter who leans hard on moral relativism — he will try to make you think that "every cop is a criminal..."

(sigh) I get so sick of RW buzz-words.

"A tribute to the region of America that liberals love to loathe"

Uh huh. I've lived in the south my entire life, numbnuts.

"taking a shot at Neil Young's Canadian arrogance along the way: "A Southern man don't need him around anyhow."..."

Yeah. Lynyrd Skynyrd couldn't take some constructive criticism about Alabama/the south? That's their problem.
Ringo

[Goat or Panic]

4. Talk about stretching

"It is in my view a counterrevolutionary song,"......."The song is skeptical about revolutionary idealism in the end, and that's a very conservative idea."

Well then thank God for liberals, otherwise we'd never of had The American Revolution and we'd still be the subjects of King George....(fill in punchline here.)

These lists seem to come out every couple of years and the logic behind them gets more and more strained. No one is FOR abortion, or FOR high and unfair taxes or FOR divorce or FOR killing Anastasia.

[Ravy]

5. How could "You spin me (Right) Round" not make that list? (n/t)

[Charlie Brown]

6. LOL! Janie's Got a Gun - by Aerosmith

28. "Janie's Got a Gun," by Aerosmith.
How the right to bear arms can protect women from sexual predators: "What did her daddy do? / It's Janie's last I.O.U. / She had to take him down easy / And put a bullet in his brain / She said 'cause nobody believes me / The man was such a sleaze / He ain't never gonna be the same."


OMFG! Yeah, it's a pro-NRA song. How could I have missed that after all these years? :sarcasm:

and who are the "Blue AYSTER Cult?"

[tenshi816]

7. This list was compiled by the National Review.

I don't think it was something "conservatives" voted for, I believe it was a list created in-house by the National Review and whoever created it was reaching way out there, in my opinion, to claim many of these songs as conservative. I can imagine that neither Mick Jagger nor Pete Townshend, for just a couple of examples, would be too happy to find themselves on this list.

Edit: typo

Edited again to add that "Bodies" by the Sex Pistols is on the list as a "searing anti-abortion anthem". Any song that contains these lyrics:

"Fuck this and fuck that
Fuck it all and fuck a fucking brat
She don't wanna baby that looks like that
I don't wanna baby that looks like that"

doesn't exactly sound pro-life, does it? The Sex Pistols were out to shock people; I don't think getting a "moral message" across was on their agenda.

The National Review is chock full of pompous, self-important dickheads who fancy themselves as intellectuals.

[BlakeB]

8. When I think Conservative rockers...

I definitely think The Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, Bob Dylan, The Offspring, and The Beatles. Some real Republican loving bands there. There were very few songs on this list that I would consider "conservative." To consider many of them conservative you have to assume that liberalism = a passion for divorce and a complete disdain for family values... not to mention everything else that's wrong with that list. I'm tired of the media letting the "conservatives" have a monopoly on family values.

[Berry Cool]

9. Is this the same idiot who just did this, or is it a new idiot?

Yeah, sure these songs are conservative. Right...

"Won't Get Fooled Again" can be taken one of two ways. The way I take it is that the poor soul in it is jaded. He trusts no politicians, really. He just wants them all to leave him alone, is all.

"Taxman"? The song of a poor boy who's just become rich and whose first reaction is to be pissed that the Big Bad Government wants so much of his newfound wealth. Same boy would eventually come to understand the sadness of the divide between the world's rich and poor.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice." Oh, so now any song in which people are longing to be married is a "conservative hit." What if a gay person had sung it?

U2's "Gloria." Oh, so now if a song has Latin lyrics, it must by definition be conservative. I guess that means Mr. Mister's "Kyrie" made the list.

Oh, and all "libertarian" songs are now "conservative" songs? Huh?!? :shrug:

And "My City Was Gone" is conservative just because Rush Limbaugh stole it for his show? Please. And because it suggests a government that "had no pride"? Yeah, but look what that government is DOING. It's paving over the countryside. It's replacing farmland with shopping malls. Sound like Dems at work? I don't think so. It's about as "conservative" as "Big Yellow Taxi."

"Kicks"? Simply because it's anti-drug? "Rock the Casbah"? All songs that criticize Communism, suggest that abortion is not a lovely experience, promote small-town life, or demand that people live their liberalism rather than just give it lip service...theirs?

Oh. And "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," because it's based on "a literary classic"--and as everyone knows, all classic literature belongs by rights to the conservatives.

They're desperate.

Memo to this guy: When the Georgia Satellites sang "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," it wasn't a paean to women saving it for the wedding night. It was a COMPLAINT OF FRUSTRATION. Kinda like Chuck Berry's "No Particular Place to Go." Chuck wasn't gettin' anywhere, and it wasn't just because he couldn't unfasten his girl's SAFETY belt. But he wasn't HAPPY about it.

"Godzilla"? Because it says "nature points out the folly of man"? THIS makes it a conservative song? :rofl:

It's a joke.

[Goat or Panic]

10. 51. The Lumberjack Song

Very conservative values.

Strong work ethic. Working the land. The manly art of chopping down trees. Following in your fathers footsteps.

This is fun. Anyone think of some more?

[zeemike]

20. Oh darn, how could we forget

"Born in the USA"
Remember when Reagan said it was his favorite song, and what a laugh we all got out of that?

[zeemike]

11. Why they do this is obvious if you think about it

The Conservatives have so little music of there own to claim
Liberals have a virtual monopoly on creativity with a few exceptions.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. You got it, zeemike! nt

[Bake]

15. But, but, they have PAT BOONE!!

Bake

[zeemike]

21. Oh that is right, he did sing Tutty Fruity didn't he

[TwilightZone]

12. I can't recall ever seeing so many obvious misinterpretations

in one article before.

These guys are utterly clueless. Have they ever heard of satire? Sarcasm?

[lectrobyte]

16. Yes, I'm surprised they didn't include Warrior Soul's 1990 hit Four More

Years as a plea for the reelection of Daddy Bush:


playing wild the dying children,
from the gutter they spawn.
a life created of indignation.
Pride and seek or pause.
pig city oil creation.

over sex dose the junk machine crawls.
missing is the laughter from the death bus,
while the eternal human war wages on.

can you believe how little you care?

the friendly face of the empire leader
conquest of style.
ego hate.
walk amongst the ancient dogs,
while the violent kills.
the declining state...

have you eaten today?
i am glad.
your digestion is the sorrow of the hungry

so tired of rejection and stupidity!
cut away to gray man.
isolation room.
a crowd gathers.
fade to riot.
as the fuerher screams deliverance.
the claws of the predatory corporation dig deep into
the naive religion culture...

acceptance blind virtue.
their reason taunts the absurd.

the beggar.
he feeds the anger.
as you burn sorrow's last word.
pain create the answer holy.
learn the lesson passion learned.
hate that teaches oh so saintly.
i kissed the pyre as it burned.

our need flows on.
but we feel nothing!
all emotions kills with no remorseful death blow from jesus

only you can turn the key
to unlock the tortured riches in your soul.
and find the reason we live.
life some sort of god rejection.
place the blame on heads that turn.
you watch the dagger rip through masses.
as wheat and grain and corn.
cry into a hatred reality.
screaming into a vengeful pit.
pitiful scream.

the heart goes forward hating.
wanting life that cannot be obtained.
justice seeker.
pray for vengeance.
the purest life is marred and stained.

i want the world to heal.

i want the world to love.

but it cannot.

four more years...

four more years...

four more years...

[Coventina]

17. No kidding. Did "Killing An Arab" by the Cure make the list?

I would think they would interpret as justification for our Crusades in the Middle East.

:eyes:

[gatorboy]

18. I thought rock n' roll was created by those that rebel against

conservative type thinking.

The Beatles? Who? Friggin' Rolling Stones???

I guess the right just doesn't get it....

[RedStateShame]

19. CONSERVATIVES DON'T ROCK!!!

Never have. Never will. Thanks for playing.

[Canuckistanian]

22. Oh, yeah, Stand By your Man!

I remember banging my head and flicking my Bic lighter during that Tammy Wynette concert back in '78.

I think Iron Maiden was the opening act.

Good times.

[AX10]

23. But many of these artists are not right wing at all.

.

[Gabi Hayes]

24. "It's the notion that revolutions are often failures,

like the French Revolution leading to Napoleon.''

or, say, the American Revolution leading to Reagan and the Bushes?

that sort of revolution/evolution?

what can you say about such imbecility

wonder what the favorite songs of the Brooks Brothers Rioters are....

you gotta check this out:

http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=57871



you can get cool stuff like this button

[LuCifer]

25. "My City Was Gone," by The Pretenders

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

THE SONG IS ANTI-DEVELOPERS, HOW CONSERVATIVE IS THAT HUH?! Morans.
Would someone like Randi or Steph Miller PLEASE "steal" this song back from oxyRU$Hitler Limpballs since he's hijacked it.

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